Ten years ago, the sport of Powerlifting wasn’t in the plans for Steve Cormier.

But when COVID hit, plans changed, and the Riverview man is now a silver medallist in the sport.

“All of the commercial gyms were shut down, and one of my friends invited me to his personal gym to start powerlifting, and it was something that I never thought that I would get into. Honestly, it’s probably one of the most beneficial things I ever chose to get into. I’ve grown strength, and it introduced a lot of things to my life.”

Forty-one-year-old Cormier recently competed in South Africa at the International Power Lifting Masters Championships.

Competitors from areas including France, Brazil, Germany, the United States, Canada and South Africa hoped to be awarded a gold, silver or bronze medal in squat, bench and deadlift events.

Cormier is now the Co-Owner of the Strength Factory, a gym for Power Lifting.

“Absolutely anyone can be a powerlifter. It’s just one of those things that you’re willing to put in the time and the hours and work on your form. You have to work on your squat, your bench and your deadlift. There are accessory workouts that you have to do. Anybody can do it, if they want to put the time into it,” Cormier adds.

Cormier says he has always been involved in sports and he is competitive, so he goes to the gym five or six days a week. It’s usually two or three hours at the gym for a workout, but Cormier adds that he is at a higher level of competition, so if you’re just starting out it wouldn’t take that amount of commitment.

Cormier is also the Vice president of the New Brunswick Power Lifting Association. He says there are just over 100 Powerlifters in the province currently.

“I can see the progress that New Brunswick has made and we have gained so many more new lifters. A lot of it is social media. They see what powerlifting is, and the community that it is. Everybody’s cheering on everybody, and you’re there to encourage everybody to get stronger every day.”

The Strength Factory is also where Powerlifters from Special Olympics New Brunswick train.

“They’re just the most amazing people. Some doubt their ability, but they are just as strong and willing as everyone else,” Cormier says.